Healthy Gas Stations Snacks You Should Be Eating


You can find several different snacks at your gas station that you could be eating, but which ones are the healthiest?

Whether you’re at a gas station, convenience store, grocery store, or the local market, the best gas station snacks are going to be the ones that are healthy, give you energy, and provide you fuel for the day.

Healthy gas station snack choices should not only be a quick and convenient option, but should be a snack that is low carb, high protein, high in nutrition, keto or vegan friendly, appetite suppressing, and at the same time sweet or savory. The best gas station snack is one that could be weight watchers friendly, easily eaten in the car, and easy to transport during long road trips.

Making a smart and healthy gas station food selection is something you should think about, because if you are making this decision daily, the calories and nutritional value of your snack selection can add up over time.

In making your selection, first check out this list of gas station snacks

Healthy Gas Stations Snacks

Healthy Convenience Store Snacks

Convenience store snacks are quick and easy, helping you to get some quick nutrition into your body to fuel your day.

The best and healthiest convenience store snacks include fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas, raw vegetables like broccoli, carrots and celery, nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and lightly salted peanuts, dairy such as Greek yogurt, string cheese and whole or dark chocolate milk, protein bars, lean meats and jerky, and whole wheat grains.

When deciding which foods to choose, you need to look closely at the nutritional value, protein content, number of calories, satiety value and convenience factor.

An apple for instance is highly nutritional, is low in calories, helps you feel full, so you don’t eat as much, and is extremely convenient to eat on the run, making it the perfect gas station snack.

A list of great grab-and-go gas station snacks include:

  • Apples
  • Oranges
  • Bananas
  • Leafy greens in a salad
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Pistachios
  • Lightly salted peanuts
  • Greek yogurt
  • String cheese
  • Whole or dark chocolate milk
  • Protein bars
  • Baked chicken
  • Whole wheat bread
  • Lean, unsalted jerky
  • Cliff bars
  • Dark chocolate
  • Kind bars
  • Low sodium popcorn
  • Boiled eggs
  • Granola bars
  • Chocolate milk

Choosing any of these healthy gas station snacks while on the go is a great way to cut calories, provide your body nutrition, and keep yourself fueled throughout the day.


Weight Watchers Gas Station Snacks

There are many people out there who are on the Weight Watchers program and would love a list of healthy gas station snacks that help them along on the program.

The healthiest Weight Watchers snacks you can find at the gas station include apples, bananas, oranges, watermelon, boiled eggs, baked chicken, whole wheat bread, raw vegetables such as broccoli and carrots, and Greek Yogurt. All these Weight Watchers foods will add 2 points or less to your total.

Other smart weight watchers gas station snacks you can eat are:

  • String Cheese (1 point per string)
  • Good Thins (3 points for 1 oz.)
  • Jelly (2 points per 14.5 oz.)
  • Skinny Pop (3 points for 1 – 100 cal. Bag)
  • Canned Fruit (3 points)
  • Dried Fruit (4 points for ¼ cup)

Being a part of the Weight Watchers plan is a great way to eat a healthy diet and lose weight.

If you need a quick snack from the gas station, try any of the foods from above to get your points.


Low Carb Gas Station Snacks

There are many low carb options you can find when looking for a quick and healthy snack at the gas station.

The best low carb gas station snacks include apples, string cheese, avocado, Greek yogurt, raw vegetables, turkey rollups, celery, peanut butter, jerky, nuts, hard boiled eggs, and leafy greens.  Many of these low carb foods are also high in nutrition and low on calories.

When you are wanting to lose weight and shed pounds, low carb snacks throughout the day might be just the thing to keep your wallet and waistline in check.

Try this list of low carb gas station snacks:

  • Apples (25g – 1 medium)
  • Oranges (11 – 1 medium)
  • Leafy greens in a salad(1.1g – 1 cup)
  • Broccoli (29g – 1 cup)
  • Carrots (9g – 1 cup)
  • Celery (3g – 1 cup)
  • Walnuts (11g – 1 cup)
  • Greek yogurt (6g – 1 cup)
  • String cheese (1g – 1 oz.)
  • Protein bars (40g – bar)
  • Baked chicken (0 g)
  • Whole wheat bread (12g – 1 slice)
  • Lean, unsalted jerky (2.2g – 1 large piece)
  • Popcorn (21g – 1 oz.)
  • Boiled eggs (.6g – 1 egg)
  • Granola bars (18g – 1 bar)

Low carb gas station snacks are the perfect foods to keep you going while helping you maintain or lose weight.


What are the healthiest gas station foods?

There are a multitude of snack options at the local gas station.

If you need to find the healthiest gas station foods, it’s best if you stay away from all the processed junk in the middle aisles.

The food in the middle aisles are going to often be processed, high on calories and sodium, low on nutrition, keep you hungry, and high in sugar.

Try to go for any fresh food you can find.

There is usually a small refrigerated section with fresh foods and snack options. Go for that.

The healthiest gas station foods are apples, bananas, hard boiled eggs, raw vegetables, chicken breast, leafy greens, and unsalted nuts. These foods will be near the register or in a refrigerated section. These foods will be the most nutritious, lowest calorie, and overall healthiest foods at the gas station.

If you need a good protein option, go for a chicken breast, lean turkey, or a protein bar.

Some gas stations will have healthy sandwich options in a refrigerated section that include some of these lean meats.


Gas Station Snacks that are Vegan or Keto

As a person who looks for foods that can be classified as vegan or keto, your food choices are often much more limited.

Luckily, many of the food options previously described in this article are also vegan or keto friendly.

The best vegan foods at a gas station include fresh fruit, protein bars, salads, oatmeal, yogurt whole grain sandwiches, and salads. You may also be able to find cold pressed juices, popcorn, and healthy chips and crackers.

If you are looking for a keto snack option at the gas station, it may not be as hard as you think.

The best keto foods at the gas station include fresh fruit, unsalted nuts, lean meats, raw vegetables, coffee, yogurt and cheese. Find these grab-and-go snack options and you don’t have to feel guilty about eating high calorie, high processed foods.

If you are vegan or stick to the keto diet, these are going to be your best options.

Don’t forget to check out my article: 101 Healthy SNACK IDEAS for Kids, Work, School, or On the Go


Healthy Gas Station Snacks for a Road Trip

If you plan on driving a long distance, it’s smart to find gas station snacks that are not only healthy, but are portable, easily handleable, high in nutrition, low on calories, and will give you energy to fuel your trip.

Dropping a messy piece of food in your car is the last thing you want to be doing during a long road trip.

The best healthy gas station snacks for a road trip are apples, bananas, nuts, jerky, carrots, string cheese, protein bars, granola bars, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and boiled eggs.

These snacks are going to be easy to handle, will stay fresh for the length of the trip, and give your body the nutrition and energy it needs to sustain the distance.


Healthy Sweet Snacks Gas Station

For the people that have a sweet tooth and still want to find that healthy gas station snack, there are several good options that provide adequate nutritional value.

Try not to fall for the sugary foods and drinks and stick to things with low sugar, but are still considered sweet snacks.

A list of healthy sweet gas station snacks includes dark chocolate, whole chocolate milk, apples, oranges, pineapple, Greek yogurt, pudding and granola bars. Try to avoid candy, soda, and many other gas station snacks that are loaded with sugar.                 

Sweet doesn’t have to mean unhealthy. Grab these snacks from above and know you’ve made a good choice.                              


Why are gas station snacks so expensive?

If you’ve ever wondered why gas station snacks are so expensive, it’s because of their limited shelf space.

You are paying for the convenience of not having to go to the store.

They have many of the items you need, but in limited quantities.

Even though gas station snacks are generally expensive, stick to fresh fruit and nuts and your pocketbook won’t take that big of a hit.

Since you usually stop at a gas station for gas or drinks, the convenience of a quick snack make it more expensive than going to the grocery store.


Summary: Healthy Gas Stations Snacks

Although you may think of twice baked hot dogs and day-old donuts when you are craving a quick snack from a gas station, there are many healthy options if you take the time to look a little closer. Stick with low carb, high protein, highly nutritious, appetite suppressing snacks and your gas station stop will end up a success.

Don’t forget to check out my article: 7 Healthy Drinks to Buy at the Gas Station or Store (Besides Water) for the top 7 healthy drinks you can find at the gas station.

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